Australia's population to hit 25 million, a decade earlier than forecast

SYDNEY - Australia’s population will hit a record 25 million Tuesday, almost a decade earlier than projected, as it attracts hundreds of thousands of migrants each year, latest government data shows.

Every minute, one person arrives to live in Australia, the data shows, underpinning demand for everything from homes to cars, schools and hospitals, and boosting the country’s economic fortunes.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates the population will reach 26 million in three years’ time based on current trends.

The rapid increase in migrant numbers has sparked a debate on the economic and social impact of migration given that inadequate infrastructure has resulted in clogged cities while an expanding labor market has capped wage growth.

“Coping means continuing to invest in infrastructure,” Treasurer Scott Morrison said on 3AW Radio on Tuesday, when asked if Australia can cope with 25 million people.

Australia’s economic success is built on migration with more than a third of the population born overseas, according to the latest census data which shows England, China, New Zealand and India as the top countries where migrants come from.

A separate ABS study released in June shows net overseas migration now accounts for 62 percent of total population growth. Natural increase makes up 38 percent.

But immigration has become a political hot potato as the ruling center-right coalition government and the opposition Labor Party start campaigning for the New South Wales state election due next March followed by national elections in May.

Far-right politician Pauline Hanson has blamed the rising migrant numbers for growing inequality in Australia, while Sen. Dean Smith became the first member of the government earlier this year to call for a review into population growth.

Smith has argued the rapid intake has put a huge strain on the infrastructure of the country’s largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, which is home to the vast majority of newcomers.

“The 25 million milestone is a perfect opportunity to engage in a broad public discussion about what future population growth should look like for Australia and how that can be balanced with preserving high living standards and quality of life,” Smith told said.